Saturday, September 20, 2014

Two Weeks and Thankful

So where exactly am I now? Well, it’s a little hard to point it out on a map.  I’m living and working in the Amangwe Tribal Area, located in the Loskop area of KwaZulu-Natal province. The roads here don’t have names, the few shops are mostly out of everything, but the people are lovely, and I’m loving it!

Here’s what I see in the road every morning on my walk to work:


And here’s where I work:


In the last two weeks at work, I’ve spent time in the garden, visited some local schools, gone with a nurse to visit people living with HIV and AIDS, starting planning for the camp we’ll put on in October, worked on learning Zulu, and spent a lot of time with OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children) teaching games and songs, learning names that are difficult to say, and building relationships. It’s been a good first two weeks and I’ve been reminded again and again that “children are a gift from God…” Pslam 127:3. While these children aren’t mine, I feel so blessed that I get to be a part of their lives!  Actually, I feel a bit like I’ve been adopted by them as the new kid in the neighborhood.


While they just learned Ultimate Frisbee, they love it and want to play all the time. We have to stop the games for cows sometimes though.

I’m also very thankful for the pace of life here. Having left a very busy season of life in the States, the slower pace is so refreshing.

From a hike last weekend

A verse I’ve been hanging on to is Acts 3: 19 “…the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord.”  How good to know that even when the pace isn’t slower, refreshment come from time with Him. No matter how busy life gets, or what's going on, He is the Source!

Friday, September 5, 2014

Here


The sinking South African sun painted the sky all orange and pink as I returned from a run this evening. It’s beautiful here! 



I arrived safely in Pretoria on Sunday and this week has been filled with training and preparations. Siyabonga for your prayers. If you didn’t guess, siyabonga, is one of the ways of saying “thank you” in Zulu. It’s one of the few words I can now say.  I still haven’t had much time for language learning, but I head to my site tomorrow and will be searching for a tutor there who is willing to teach a slow, but dedicated learner.


My home for this next year is in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains. Did you know that it snows in those mountains?! And that it snowed last week! Winter is just ending here, yes, that’s right winter...but the end of winter means spring!


How thankful I am that God made seasons, in weather and in life, and that “there is a time for everything under the sun” (Ecc. 3). I’m grateful for this opportunity to be back in Africa and am excited for what this year will hold. I want to make the most of the time, to run with endurance the race set before me, to fix my eyes on Christ, to love with His love, to share the good news and to always follow where He leads.